Is Gronk news easier to take after 2014?

[brdmaverick]

Don't get me wrong, I'm disappointed about Gronk's injury as I did have high aspirations for a championship. Sure, we still obviously still have a decent chance, but I won't sugar coat it as a given.

I've always said though that trophy 5 would be nice, but trophy 4 was a must for me as a fan. Now that we have trophy no. 4 I actually enjoy the games a little more now as I'm not as stressed 'chasing the fourth'. If they do win again it would be a GREAT GREAT bonus, but it would only be icing on the cake and not a true necessity in my eyes.

After coming so close year after year I needed that fourth one. If we received this Gronk news and we were still chasing the fourth title I'd probably have lost my mind. The 2014 championship to me has made this injury easier to accept.

The same goes for our loss last year against the Broncos. A gut wrenching loss to Peyton Manning of all people surely would have stabbed at my heart in prior seasons. As disappointed as I was I quickly realized .....it would be somewhat silly and selfish to be crying over not winning back to back Super Bowls. I think that would be the definition of an entitled, spoiled fan.

Do others feel the same way? That the news is tough to take but not as bad since there is still some after effects from the 2014 championship?

 

[Ring 6]

The reaction to any news good or bad is tempered by the number of pelts on the wall.

 

[Tony2046]

Having Bennett on the team makes the news easier for me personally. I guess I would add having other emerging weapons such as Mitchell and Hogan helps too.

 

[oldrover]

The reaction to any news good or bad is tempered by the number of pelts on the wall.

And the amount of trips around the sun.

https://imgflip.com/memegenerator

 

[Jackson 2]

Just speaking for myself, the answer would be "yes.". But, unlike some, I don't believe that Gronk's loss eliminates the Patriots from SB contention. I understand the knee jerk, emotional reaction to learning he's done for this season. But, to think that they now have no chance of winning it all is a slap in the face to Brady, all of his weapons (still considerable and impressive), the coaches and the entire organization. It also discounts an integral factor in their success: their resilience, toughness and reaction to adversity. Plus, they never, ever quit. While their chances certainly have been diminished to some degree, they're certainly not out of the running.

 

[Ring 6]

And the amount of trips around the sun.

LOL. I always thought being a fan of a team is done to be fun. I always thought when you have BB and TFB it makes it even more fun. I'll never understand people who seem to enjoy being a miserable fan and predicting doom and gloom.

 

[Sicilian]

I think so, yes, but it's also made easier by the fact that we have more weapons to mitigate the loss than we have in any season since Gronk has been here. The additions of Bennett, Lewis, Hogan, and Mitchell, as well as the emergence of White as a solid option gives BB, Josh, and Brady plenty of ways to rethink their strategy.

Always wish he have Gronk, but I'm confident we're not going to fall apart on offense without him.

 

[deters]

Having Bennett on the team makes the news easier for me personally. I guess I would add having other emerging weapons such as Mitchell and Hogan helps too.

How i feel too. I hate the news but we have plenty of talent to make a run, just need to play at a higher level. In years past, Gronk was everything. Now I feel we're more balanced. Still hurts a bunch though.

 

[patriot1136]

Still not done yet. This team does not and will not quit. We just have to gameplan without Gronk. Probably see more of White and maybe Develin at TE.

 

[FCB02062]

No way. Gronkowski's injury makes it much harder for this team to win the Super Bowl, period. As a young Boston sports fan growing up I was constantly reminded of the Montreal Canadiens and New York Yankees. They are both the undisputed hallmark franchises in the history of their sport. I want that for the Patriots because it is certainly there for the taking.

When they won their third in four years in the 2004 season I never thought it'd be 10 years for another one.
The teams' accomplishments are amazing, but in 2007 they had a chance at immortality and failed. Brady still has several productive years left. The team has four super bowls. If they can win one or two more then they are definitely in the conversation as the best football team EVER....as a kid growing up with Guy LaFleur, Reggie Jackson, Thurman Munson, Ken Dryden, Bob Gainey, Ron Guidry, Bucky ****ing Dent....I wanted the Patriots to be "that" team, the team that no one can argue is the best of all time...

 

[Froob]

Definitely. I don't see how you could say it's not. If we ended up with no SBs with Brady and Gronk it'd be awful.

 

[Buchanty]

Like many others on this thread, I am disappointed by Gronk's injury, though my strongest wish is that he recovers fully and is a 19 game participant next year, building on his already impressive resume.

As for this year, I recognize the harder row we have to plow, however I also believe that it is easier to overcome adverse expectation than to meet or exceed high expectation. I regard the honor of being favorite to win the SB in the same way as I view the yearly MVP, a decoration but no substitute for the real thing. The Patriots always seem to play their best when they are carrying chips on their shoulders, and none more so than TB12,

 

[JMC00]

Easier to take because just look at the GW drive against the jests

White with a clutch 4th down conversion
Hogan getting open down the middle for 25 yards setting them up inside the 10
Malcolm Mitchell with the GW TD.

No one is gonna deny that the offense is better with Gronk but to act like it's a deathblow is stupid.

And don't give me Brady's numbers with and without Gronk. Without Gronk is a small sample size with 11 of the games coming in '13 when Brady was throwing to Edelman, Dobson, Tompkins, Hoomanuwinui and Bolden for much of the year.

 

[Gronkowski123]

trying to convince myself that we could still win the SB

i haven't been able to.

 

[Ring 6]

trying to convince myself that we could still win the SB

i haven't been able to.

You still haven't convinced yourself the 2014 Patriots could win the SB.

 

[BradyFTW!]

trying to convince myself that we could still win the SB

i haven't been able to.

I'd think after watching the 2001 Patriots it would be pretty easy to conclude that any of the Patriots teams of recent years can win the Super Bowl. We're dealing with changes in likelihood here, not any kind of functional or practical possibility vs. impossibility.

 

[JMC00]

You still haven't convinced yourself the 2014 Patriots could win the SB.

This is great.

 

[Mogamedogz]

I much more concerned with the defense than I am with the loss of Gronk (this time around). I think the offense is still more than capable.

 

[Ring 6]

I much more concerned with the defense than I am with the loss of Gronk (this time around). I think the offense is still more than capable.

I'm excited about the defense. Near the best in the league on the scoreboard, and still a work in progress with BBs history of defensive improvement as the season wears on. This D should be peaking as we enter the post season.

 

[Brick27]

Agreed. Going through that 10 year push towards getting to #4 has really put things in perspective. Very frustrating getting close in 2007 and 2011, and other times along the way.

Obviously would like to see Brady reach #5 and be the lone QB with 5 rings, but I'm perfectly content with simply being in the running at this point.